GRUNDY, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin made a trip to Buchanan County on Friday to meet with families impacted by the floods and to lend a helping hand.
The damage to the neighborhoods struck a chord with Youngkin.
“The damage is extensive,” Youngkin said. “You can’t help to have your heart sink when you see someone’s home lifted off and moved off the foundation, moved down the road. Damage to the rail lines. Damage to the churches.”
Youngkin shook the hands of the rescuers who assisted in the efforts to find all of the 44 people who were reported missing just after the flooding.
Youngkin also met the volunteers who hauled in truckloads of food and cleaning supplies for the families impacted.
10 News got the chance to speak with a resident, Buddy Fuller, who said that people are struggling to make it out of their driveways.
“We need some equipment in here because people’s got their vehicles blocked,” Fuller said. “Nurses got their vehicles blocked. They need the debris out of the driveway so they can get to their jobs.”
As recovery efforts are underway, Youngkin said he wants to pursue a federal declaration.
“And so there is going to be a ton of clean-up,” Youngkin said. “We are going to aggressively pursue a federal declaration. But we’ve got to go through the work first to make sure we have a full assessment of the damage and we are doing that quickly.
There are many organizations and crews stepping up to help the community, but more help is still needed.
You can learn more about how you can make a difference in the Buchanan County community by reading this article.